Disconnected in a Connected World - Workology

Disconnected in a Connected World - Workology Disconnected in a Connected World Technology is changing at an astounding pace.  Lets take a look at the past 30 years. Information is so much more accessible than it has ever been.  You dont have to go to the card catalog in the library to find microfiche and look up data.  You dont have to go look something up in the Encyclopedia Britannica.  Everything you want to know is at your fingertips on your mobile device within a matter of seconds.  You can Google something and find whatever information you need. Disconnected in a Connected World You dont have to sit around to catch live TV.  You dont have to have your VCR or BetaMax on standby to catch the latest epsiode of your favorite TV show.   No, TV is on demand.  Most of it you can get on Netflix, Amazon, or an affiliate website.  You can fast forward through every commercial and the parts of a show that dont interest you. You dont need to know your multiplication or addition anymore.  A calculator on your cell phone will always keep you in check. You certainly dont need to develop film. With Flickr or Facebook or Instagram and your digital camera can do just about everything you want it to do.  It doesnt seem like that long ago when digital pictures became available. What about Music?  A record getting scratched was the end of the world.  Now we have everything on our iPod, Android, or computer. You dont need a newspaper.  Everything you possibly need is on Yahoo or Google.  It will keep you up to date. .ai-rotate {position: relative;} .ai-rotate-hidden {visibility: hidden;} .ai-rotate-hidden-2 {position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-fallback, .ai-list-block {visibility: hidden; position: absolute; width: 50%; height: 1px; z-index: -9999;} All this technology is great.   We are better people because of it, right? Hmm.. Good question. I have got to tell you that I have never felt so disconnected in a connected world.  I bought into the philosophy that technology has helped us as a society.    With social media and technology we are becoming lazy.   Sometimes, I feel like it makes  us dumber. Do you remember getting letters?  The other day I was digging through some old pictures and found a postcard from my grandfather that he sent me when I was 7 years old. Now, we get e-mails that we so easily discard once our event is over.   A handwritten letter is something we just dont get anymore. So, where am I going with all of this?   We are all becoming used to our routines.   Get up, go to work, come home, spend time with your family, and have a little time for downtime.   Sound familiar? .ai-rotate {position: relative;} .ai-rotate-hidden {visibility: hidden;} .ai-rotate-hidden-2 {position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-fallback, .ai-list-block {visibility: hidden; position: absolute; width: 50%; height: 1px; z-index: -9999;} I have recently stopped getting a newspaper, I use XM radio, I watch Netflix at night with no commercial interruptions and  am on Facebook or Twitter and  communicate online or text. I    had completely cut myself off on what was going on in the world.   No news was available on Netflix or XM and I was too consumed with my routine. Social Media is a platform for us to use along with Technology.   I for one am never going to cut off a subscirption to a newspaper ever again and a phone call, a handwritten letter, are going to be my new routines. HR professionals need to think about this for a minute.   We are in the people business.   Even though we get caught up in the technology side of what we do, staying current means engagement.     It means understanding what other companies are doing, what your employees are saying, and what has and hasnt worked.     You can use techology, but dont forget how the old fashioned way of doing things that have stood the test of time. I am going to ask you, is technology and social media making you dumb?